Selco Foundation to install solar inverters at 40 Shuddha Ganga units

Selco Foundation will install solar inverters at 40 select Shuddha Ganga drinking water units, installed by Sri Kshethra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP), across the state.

An agreement for annual maintenance of solar inverters was signed at Dharmasthala in the presence of Dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade.

SKDRDP Executive Director Dr L H Manjunath and Social Alpha CEO Manoj Kumar exchanged the agreement. Selco Foundation will maintain the solar inverter for one year free of cost.

The cost of each inverter in the unit is Rs 6 lakh. Accordingly, a sum of Rs 2.40 crore will be spent on 40 Shuddha Ganga units, he said.

Veerendra Heggade said that Shuddha Ganga was initiated to supply pure drinking water. There is a need to create awareness of solar energy among rural folks. Steps will be taken to use solar energy in the kitchen in the future.

Dr L H Manjunath said that there were 321 Shuddha Ganga units in the state. At present, 81,000 users avail 16,20,000 litres of water daily from these units.

An amount of Rs 6 crore is spent as an annual maintenance cost on these units. The expenditure on electricity bills comes around Rs 1.14 crore annually, he explained. Now, Selco Foundation has decided to install solar inverters for 40 units and maintain them for a year free of cost.

SKDRDP COO Anil Kumar, Selco Foundation chairman Harish Hande were among those present at the event.

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